Vermont Libertarian candidate joins Republicans

Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Dan Feliciano joins Republican Party - VTDigger - Tom Brown:

January 14, 2015 -"The third-place finisher in the race for Vermont governor is switching parties.

"Dan Feliciano, who received 8,428 votes (4.4 percent) in November, is leaving the Libertarian Party to become a Republican, he said Wednesday.

"Feliciano, 51, said he has much in common with the Vermont GOP and said its larger base would give him a better chance to win in 2016.

"Feliciano, who was vice chairman of the state Libertarian Party, said he was interested in another run for governor but might consider vying for a lower statewide office....

"Feliciano brought media attention to the Vermont Libertarian Party by seeking the Republican nomination via a write-in campaign in the August primary. That bid fell short as Scott Milne easily won the GOP spot on the November ballot.

"The move caused friction among Libertarians, some of whom bristled at Feliciano’s attempt to run on both tickets. Some Republicans also criticized his attempt while others embraced his candidacy as an alternative to Milne....

"During his campaign, Feliciano was a strong opponent of Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin’s plan for publicly financed health care at a time when Milne was wavering on the issue. That resonated with many Republican voters who share Libertarian views on small government and fiscal restraint."

Read more: http://vtdigger.org/2015/01/14/libertarian-gubernatorial-candidate-dan-feliciano-joins-republican-party/
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VT Libertarian Feliciano "not a fringe candidate"

Libertarian Dan Feliciano Makes a Bid for Vermont’s Highest Office | Politics | Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice - Kevin J. Kelley:

October 22, 2014 - "Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Dan Feliciano exceeded expectations when he collected 14 percent of the vote as a late-starting write-in candidate in the Republican primary. In a Vermont Public Radio debate the following month, the 51-year-old business-efficiency expert struck some listeners as better-informed and more articulate than Scott Milne, the candidate who had won the Republican gubernatorial primary."

"Feliciano comes across as unthreatening, nondogmatic and, in the view of political scientist and retired Middlebury College professor Eric Davis, 'not a fringe candidate.' His aim to be seen as more of a mainstream conservative than a radical right-winger has been steadied by endorsements from a few Vermont GOP standouts: party vice-chair Brady Toensing, treasurer Mark Snelling and Darcie Johnston, manager of Randy Brock's 2012 campaign for governor....

"Feliciano wants to slash taxes and shrink bureaucracy. He said he'd make a start toward those twin goals by eliminating the surcharge on electricity bills that finances Efficiency Vermont. That statewide energy-conservation entity operates on an annual budget of $45 million but produces "zero value" for Vermonters, according to Feliciano....

"Feliciano would also permanently unplug Vermont Health Connect, the state-sponsored website that is supposed to enable Vermonters to buy affordable insurance policies.... Feliciano's hostility toward Vermont Health Connect squares with his sworn opposition to Shumlin's plan to introduce a single-payer health insurance system in Vermont. Estimated price tag: $2 billion. The Libertarian's flat-out rejection of single payer is a key reason why Johnston, an ardent campaigner against Shumlin's proposal, has gone to work for Feliciano rather than for Milne, who has refused to denounce single payer."

Read more: http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/libertarian-dan-feliciano-makes-a-bid-for-vermonts-highest-office/Content?oid=2460214
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Feliciano loses GOP primary, still in as Libertarian

Vermont primary reveals dissent against establishment gubernatorial candidates « Watchdog.org - Bruce Parker, Vermont Watchdog:

August 27, 2014 - "In a primary election marked by low voter turnout and scores of unchallenged races, Vermont’s major party establishment candidates saw significant protest votes....

"On the Republican side of the aisle, moderate establishment candidate Scott Milne won the support of 72 percent of the vote, but not without a serious threat from Libertarian Dan Feliciano, who mounted a last-minute write-in campaign to be the Republican Party nominee for governor.

"Practically unknown until one month ago, Feliciano went viral on the Internet after blasting Shumlin on single-payer and taxes. As of Wednesday morning, the Keurig Green Mountain employee from Essex had garnered more than 2,000 votes of the total 14,000 votes cast on the Republican ticket.

"Far from viewing the primary as a loss, Feliciano said his write-in tallies prove he now has the name recognition to share a stage with establishment party candidates Shumlin and Milne — yet as a third party candidate.

"'I’ll continue on as the Libertarian candidate carrying the flag of stopping single payer, reducing costs, promoting school choice and reducing property taxes,' Feliciano told Vermont Watchdog. 'I’ll continue onward with my message and put on a good battle and go head-to-head with Peter Shumlin. I’ll still carry the flag, and I’ll continue with the ground force I have that’s growing every day.'

"Feliciano became an overnight social media sensation after strongly opposing Shumlin’s single-payer health care agenda. Under single-payer, the government — not private insurance companies — would pay all health care costs for all Vermonters using taxpayer dollars....The Libertarian has developed major viral buzz on Facebook and Twitter, and even garnered national attention from The Blaze. His campaign even won significant endorsements from the vice chair and treasurer of the Vermont Republican Party."

Read more: http://watchdog.org/167374/vermont-primary-shumlin/
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Vermont LP candidate runs for GOP nomination

Feliciano's push for GOP votes irks Libertarians: - Terry Hallenbeck, Burlington Free Press:

August 8, 2014 - "Libertarian Dan Feliciano ramped up his push Thursday for getting write-in votes in the Republican primary for governor, but in the process has irked both parties.

"Feliciano, 51, of Essex, held a news conference on the green in downtown Waterbury to urge voters to write his name in on the Republican primary ballot Aug. 26. Feliciano said he will more directly challenge incumbent Democrat Peter Shumlin over key issues, including health care and state spending. Feliciano said one his priorities is putting a stop to Shumlin's plans for single-payer government-funded health coverage....

"He called for focusing spending on 'core state functions.' He slammed Shumlin's efforts to offer IBM Corp. a freeze on electric rates and the possibility of $4.5 million in incentives as having 'an air of desperation about it.' He also dismissed Shumlin's goal of having 90 percent of the state's energy come from renewable sources by 2050 as 'economically dangerous and altogether ridiculous.' He said global warming, if it happens, will hold down Vermonters' heating bills and extend the growing season.

"Feliciano said his push for the write-in campaign stemmed from interest among Republicans looking for a candidate to challenge Shumlin on his health care plans. Joining Feliciano at Thursday's news conference was Republican political consultant Darcie Johnston, who served as campaign manager for unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Brock in 2012 and founder of the advocacy group Vermonters for Health Care Freedom."

Read more: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2014/08/07/governor-write/13740701/
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Vermont Libertarian drawing Republican interest

Libertarian candidate draws GOP interest - Terri Hallenbeck, Burlington Free Press:

July 29, 2014 - "Dan Feliciano, ... 51, has made a career as a business consultant creating efficiencies for firms such as Cigna and Aetna health care, IBM, Travelers Insurance and the Medical College of Virginia. He's now employed by Keurig Green Mountain in Waterbury, where his job involves improving production efficiency.

"When he's done working he still likes to talk efficiency. Feliciano would like to put his 'hobby' to use in making state government more efficient, cutting spending and lowering taxes. The father of three is running for governor as the Libertarian Party candidate....

"This is Feliciano's second try for governor, having run in 2010 as an independent who won 1,341 votes, or .6 percent of the total. This year is different, he said. He's won the nomination of the Libertarian Party and is drawing interest from voters typically aligned with other parties, including Republicans looking for a candidate to condemn incumbent Democrat Peter Shumlin's plans to create a government-run health coverage system....

"Feliciano's condemnation of a single-payer system appeals to some Republicans who are frustrated by the delays, technology problems and cost of the insurance exchange that Shumlin implemented this year as part of the federal Affordable Care Act. He also appeals to those who fear Shumlin's pending plans to create government-financed coverage.

"'I see people responding favorably to that,' said Mark Snelling, the Republican Party treasurer and son of former Gov. Richard Snelling and Lt. Gov. Barbara Snelling....

"Patricia Crocker, a Republican State Committee member from Essex, is supporting Feliciano and urging fellow Republicans to vote for him as a write-in candidate in the Republican primary. 'I believe that his extensive experience in health care and effective budgeting are just what Vermont needs at this time — and represent the two key issues that unite Republicans,' she said.

Read more: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/2014/07/27/libertarian-candidate-courts-gop-interest/13188577/
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LP candidate for VT Governor promises mofongo

A Libertarian Latino Is Running For Vermont Governor, Would Celebrate With Mofongo | Fox News Latino - Elizabeth Llorente:

June 16, 2014 - "One of Vermont’s gubernatorial candidates says, jokingly, that if he wins, he will give out 'mofongo' to celebrate – that’s Spanish for a Puerto Rican mashed fried plantain dish.

"Dan Feliciano is the Libertarian Party nominee who is running on a platform that is, in a way, a mofongo of Republican and Democrat positions on various issues.

"The New York-born business consultant cites as priorities cutting taxes, bringing down spending, retaining businesses, and legalizing marijuana, among other things.

"'My platform is 80 percent of the Democratic platform and 80 percent of the Republican platform,' Feliciano said to Fox News Latino.

"His campaign website says he strongly believes 'that the government should not interfere with our personal freedoms … People should be empowered AND accountable to live the lives they chose.'"

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2014/06/16/libertarian-latino-running-for-vermont-governor-offers-to-celebrate-with/

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